Tetzel, JOHN, the famous seller of indulgences, was born at Leipzig about 1455, and in 1489 entered the Dominican order. His ability and success as a preacher led to his being entrusted in 1516 with the charge of preaching an indulgence in favour of contributors to the fund for building the church of St Peter's at Rome (see INDULGENCE). It was in opposition to him that Luther published his celebrated theses, on the 31st October 1517. Tetzel published counter-theses and detailed replies, but was himself severely rebuked by the papal delegate Miltitz, for the extravagance in statement and other improprieties which had brought so much scandal upon the church. His personal character was the subject of controversy. He died of the plague at Leipzig in August 1519.
There are (hostile) Lives by Hofmann (1844) and Korner (1880), and from the Catholic point of view by Gröne (2d ed. 1860) and Hermann (2d ed. 1883). See also Kayser, Geschichtsquellen über Tetzel (1877).